This is a class blog run by Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru and her students in the course "Telenovelas, Culture & Society" at the University of Georgia during Fall 2015

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Final Fates of the Villains

First off, muchas gracias a Dr. A for teaching such an interesting and informative course! It's really a shame that it is only taught once every two years. I learned so much about culture, production, and how lucky I am live in this country. Thank you!

After viewing the final episode of my telenovela, Juana La Virgen, I was appalled at how extremely the circumstances of the villains changed. In addition, the two main villains were dealt with completely differently. For Carlota, even after attempting to kidnap the protagonists' baby, she was able to undergo some personal changes and stop her selfish, obsessive behavior. Her transformation into a forgiving, understanding woman happened practically overnight. I actually felt a little happy for her despite her dark past - after all, her actions were simply fueled by jealousy and insecurity, which she was able to ultimately overcome.

Carlota's father Rogelio, on the other hand, paid for his bad deeds. The voice of his dead victim haunted him as he wallowed in a crowded, unsanitary jail cell. And you know what, I don't feel bad for him at all. He essentially killed several people, whether directly or by accomplice. Rogelio instigated Carlota's demonic behavior and he never showed regret for what he did to gain power.

This telenovela's termination had the best of both worlds in the end: we got to see Carlota forgive and be forgiven, yet her father took the heat so that viewers' sense of vengeance and karma could be satiated. I loved the ending of the novela and can't wait to start watching the spin-off, Jane the Virgin.